Method for vacuum aeration of septic tanks to provide low pressure microbubbles

Abstract

An improved method for aeration of septic tanks and the like by drawing atmospheric air into an expansion chamber and from there into agitated sludge to provide low pressure small microbubbles which have long hold times in the sludge material.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method of simultaneous aeration and agitation of hydrocarbon waste products, said method comprising; 
       moving atmospheric pressure air through a confined zone into a larger zone of reduced air pressure which contains hydrocarbon waste products;  
       dispersing extremely small reduced pressure microbubbles of an average size of about 0.25 mm into the waste products while simultaneously agitating said waste products; and  
       maintaining the dispersed microbubbles in said waste products to increase lateral oxygen transfer to replace oxygen used by aerobic bacteria.  
     
     
       2. The method of claim  1  wherein the microbubbles are maintained within the waste products for up to ten to twelve hours. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim  1  wherein the microbubbles are produced by drawing atmospheric pressure air through an orifice into an expansion chamber and then into said waste products. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim  3  wherein said microbubbles are produced and dispersed by means of an air tube for drawing ambient air into a propeller agitation means rotating at high speed in said waste products. 
     
     
       5. A method of simultaneous aeration and agitation of biological waste material, said method comprising; 
       moving atmospheric pressure air through a confined zone into a larger zone of reduced air pressure which contains biological waste material;  
       dispersing extremely small reduced pressure microbubbles of an average size of about 0.25 mm into the waste material while simultaneously agitating said waste material; and  
       maintaining the dispersed microbubbles in said waste material to increase lateral oxygen transfer to replace oxygen used by aerobic bacteria.  
     
     
       6. The method of claim  5  wherein the microbubbles are maintained within the waste material for up to ten to twelve hours. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim  5  wherein the microbubbles are produced by drawing atmospheric pressure air through an orifice into an expansion chamber and then into said waste material. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim  7  wherein said microbubbles are produced and dispersed by means of an air tube for drawing ambient air into a propeller agitation means rotating at high speed in said waste material. 
     
     
       9. A method of simultaneous aeration and agitation of biodegradable material, said method comprising; 
       moving atmospheric pressure air through a confined zone into a larger zone of reduced air pressure which contains biodegradable material;  
       dispersing extremely small reduced pressure microbubbles of an average size of about 0.25 mm into the material while simultaneously agitating said material; and  
       maintaining the dispersed microbubbles in said material to increase lateral oxygen transfer to replace oxygen used by aerobic bacteria.  
     
     
       10. The method of claim  9  wherein the microbubbles are maintained within the material for up to ten to twelve hours. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim  9  wherein the microbubbles are produced by drawing atmospheric pressure air through an orifice into an expansion chamber and then into said material. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim  11  wherein said microbubbles are produced and dispersed by means of an air tube for drawing ambient air into a propeller agitation means rotating at high speed in said material. 
     
     
       13. A method of breaking down waste material by aerobic action, comprising: 
       forming oxygen-containing bubbles having a pressure less than atmospheric pressure;  
       dispersing the bubbles into the waste material such that the bubbles are suspended in the waste material without rapid upward flotation, wherein the bubbles have an average size of about 0.25 mm; and  
       agitating the waste material.  
     
     
       14. The method of claim  13  wherein the bubbles are maintained in the waste material for at least several hours. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim  13  wherein the low pressure of the bubbles is produced by moving atmospheric air through an orifice into an expansion chamber wherein the volume increases and the pressure decreases. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim  13  wherein the agitation is created by a propeller rotating in the waste materials. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim  13  wherein the bubbles are air bubbles. 
     
     
       18. A method of decomposing waste material by aerobic action, comprising: 
       dispersing extremely small reduced pressure oxygen-containing microbubbles of an average size of about 0.25 mm into the waste products while simultaneously agitating said waste products; and  
       maintaining the dispersed microbubbles in said waste products to increase lateral oxygen transfer to replace oxygen used by aerobic bacteria.  
     
     
       19. The method of claim  18  wherein the microbubbles are formed from air. 
     
     
       20. The method of claim  18  wherein the microbubbles are maintained within the waste products for up to ten to twelve hours. 
     
     
       21. The method of claim  18  wherein the microbubbles are produced by drawing atmospheric pressure air through an orifice into an expansion chamber and then into said waste products. 
     
     
       22. The method of claim  18  wherein said microbubbles are produced and dispersed by means of an air tube for drawing ambient air into a propeller agitation means rotating at high speed in said waste products.